Cuticle micromorphology of Saxegothaea (Podocarpaceae)

The cuticle micromorphology of the leaves of the monospecific genus Saxegothaea (Podocarpaceae) was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The external and internal features of the adaxial and abaxial surfaces were characterized. The leaves are hypostomatic. The external adaxial cuticle is rugose with irregular ridges and shallow trench‐like structures that do not correspond to any feature of the inner cuticle surface. The external abaxial cuticle has densely crowded stomata arranged in two bands. The stomata are sunken with pronounced, interrupted Florin rings. Stomatal plugs were not observed. Internally, the adaxial epidermal cells are usually rectangular to square; the abaxial epidermal cells are mainly restricted to the midrib and margins and narrowly rectangular; any among the stomata are irregularly shaped. The stomata are nearly all in direct contact. They show unusual features, including an extra pair of cuticular flanges between the guard cell flanges and those of the lateral subsidiary cells, and ‘bridges’ of lateral subsidiary cell tissue extending polewards above the polar extensions to unite with those at their tips. Neither of these features has been reported previously in Podocarpaceae. The results are discussed in the light of recent phylogenetic studies. It is concluded that, despite its unique cuticular features, Saxegothaea should continue to be regarded as a member of Podocarpaceae. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 159 , 58–67.